WEBVTT 00:00:00.850 --> 00:00:06.750 Good morning come to preach to you today out 00:00:06.750 --> 00:00:17.329 of Psalm 22 Psalm 22 let me read it for you My 00:00:17.329 --> 00:00:21.670 god my god, why have you forsaken me? Why are 00:00:21.670 --> 00:00:25.730 you so far from saving me? From the words of 00:00:25.730 --> 00:00:30.690 my groaning. Oh my god, I cried by day, but you 00:00:30.690 --> 00:00:34.630 do not answer and by night, but I find no rest 00:00:35.439 --> 00:00:39.460 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of 00:00:39.460 --> 00:00:44.159 Israel. In you our fathers trusted. They trusted 00:00:44.159 --> 00:00:49.240 and you delivered them. To you they cried and 00:00:49.240 --> 00:00:52.960 were rescued. In you they trusted and were not 00:00:52.960 --> 00:00:56.590 put to shame. But I am a worm and not a man, 00:00:57.649 --> 00:01:00.969 scorned by mankind and despised by the people. 00:01:01.859 --> 00:01:05.459 All who see me mock me. They make mouths at me. 00:01:05.480 --> 00:01:08.189 They wag their heads. He trusts in the Lord. 00:01:08.349 --> 00:01:11.189 Let him deliver him. Let him rescue him, for 00:01:11.189 --> 00:01:16.319 he delights in him. Yet you are he who took me 00:01:16.319 --> 00:01:19.640 from the womb. You made me trust you at my mother's 00:01:19.640 --> 00:01:23.180 breast. On you I was cast from my birth, and 00:01:23.180 --> 00:01:26.659 from my mother's womb you have been my God. Be 00:01:26.659 --> 00:01:29.579 not far from me, for trouble is near, and there 00:01:29.579 --> 00:01:34.799 is none to help. Many bulls encompass me. Strong 00:01:34.799 --> 00:01:38.400 bulls of Bashan surround me. They open wide their 00:01:38.400 --> 00:01:41.400 mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion. 00:01:42.519 --> 00:01:45.459 I am poured out like water, and all of my bones 00:01:45.459 --> 00:01:49.049 are out of joint. My heart is like wax. It is 00:01:49.049 --> 00:01:52.250 melted within my breast. My strength is dried 00:01:52.250 --> 00:01:54.989 up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my 00:01:54.989 --> 00:01:59.349 jaws. You lay me in the dust of death. For dogs 00:01:59.349 --> 00:02:02.849 encompass me. A company of evildoers encircles 00:02:02.849 --> 00:02:06.930 me. They have pierced my hands and feet. I can 00:02:06.930 --> 00:02:10.069 count all my bones. They stare and gloat over 00:02:10.069 --> 00:02:13.770 me. They divide my garments among them, and for 00:02:13.770 --> 00:02:17.939 my clothing they cast lots. But you, O Lord, 00:02:17.979 --> 00:02:21.520 do not be far off. O you, my help, come quickly 00:02:21.520 --> 00:02:28.849 to my aid. Deliver my soul from the sword, my 00:02:28.849 --> 00:02:32.449 precious life from the power of the dog. Save 00:02:32.449 --> 00:02:35.770 me from the mouth of the lion. You have rescued 00:02:35.770 --> 00:02:39.599 me from the horns of the wild oxen. I will tell 00:02:39.599 --> 00:02:42.000 of your name to my brothers in the midst of the 00:02:42.000 --> 00:02:45.280 congregation I will praise you you who fear the 00:02:45.280 --> 00:02:49.379 Lord praise him all you offspring of Jacob glorify 00:02:49.379 --> 00:02:53.240 him and Stand in awe of him all you offspring 00:02:53.240 --> 00:02:57.419 of Israel for he has not despised or abhorred 00:02:57.419 --> 00:03:01.449 the affliction of the afflicted and He has not 00:03:01.449 --> 00:03:04.030 hidden his face from him, but he has heard when 00:03:04.030 --> 00:03:08.770 he cried to him From you comes my praise in the 00:03:08.770 --> 00:03:11.870 great congregation my vows. I will perform before 00:03:11.870 --> 00:03:15.370 those who fear him The afflicted shall eat and 00:03:15.370 --> 00:03:18.939 be satisfied Those who seek him shall praise 00:03:18.939 --> 00:03:23.449 the Lord May your hearts live forever All the 00:03:23.449 --> 00:03:25.490 ends of the earth shall remember and turn to 00:03:25.490 --> 00:03:28.330 the Lord and all the families of the nation shall 00:03:28.330 --> 00:03:31.430 worship before you For kingship belongs to the 00:03:31.430 --> 00:03:36.520 Lord and he rules over the nations All the prosperous 00:03:36.520 --> 00:03:39.659 of the earth shall eat earth eat and worship 00:03:39.659 --> 00:03:42.780 before him shall bow down all who go down to 00:03:42.780 --> 00:03:45.879 the dust Even the one who could not keep himself 00:03:45.879 --> 00:03:49.990 alive Posterity shall serve him and it shall 00:03:49.990 --> 00:03:52.310 be told of the Lord to the coming generation 00:03:52.310 --> 00:03:55.090 They shall come and proclaim his righteousness 00:03:55.090 --> 00:04:02.389 to a people yet unborn that he has done it this 00:04:02.389 --> 00:04:06.129 is I'm used to ending the Psalm with a Gloria 00:04:06.129 --> 00:04:08.169 Patri, but we've already done that today, but 00:04:08.169 --> 00:04:15.009 this is the Word of the Lord. Let's pray before 00:04:15.009 --> 00:04:17.089 the sermon. Father, thank you for your Word. 00:04:17.870 --> 00:04:23.939 Thank you for deep and complex insights from 00:04:23.939 --> 00:04:29.060 your music book that tell us how our feelings 00:04:29.060 --> 00:04:32.779 are able to be and what is actually at work in 00:04:32.779 --> 00:04:35.980 the background when things seem grim. I pray 00:04:35.980 --> 00:04:39.699 that this would work its way into our hearts 00:04:39.699 --> 00:04:43.160 as it is your spirit's word. And it is for your 00:04:43.160 --> 00:04:45.220 glory and for our pleasure's sake. In Jesus' 00:04:45.360 --> 00:04:53.189 name I pray. This is a long psalm and I'm not 00:04:53.189 --> 00:04:55.709 going to preach through each verse. So you're 00:04:55.709 --> 00:05:00.199 not getting a 30 part exposition. I intend to 00:05:00.199 --> 00:05:04.240 mainly focus on the opening phrase, my God, my 00:05:04.240 --> 00:05:08.199 God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so 00:05:08.199 --> 00:05:11.379 far from saving me from the words of my groaning? 00:05:13.170 --> 00:05:16.529 Or why are you so far from the words of my groaning? 00:05:17.629 --> 00:05:20.829 Oh My god, I cry by day, but you do not answer 00:05:20.829 --> 00:05:26.089 and by night, but I find no rest There are a 00:05:26.089 --> 00:05:30.129 couple other Pieces that I want to point out 00:05:30.129 --> 00:05:33.430 to verse 19, but you Oh Lord do not be far off. 00:05:34.069 --> 00:05:37.709 Oh You my help come quickly to my aid to be followed 00:05:37.709 --> 00:05:41.269 by the last verse that says he has done it so 00:05:41.269 --> 00:05:44.529 here's the question this psalm starts with a 00:05:44.529 --> 00:05:46.569 shocking statement that god has abandoned the 00:05:46.569 --> 00:05:50.259 singer and the question is has god abandoned 00:05:50.259 --> 00:05:53.060 the singer because the psalm tells us when i 00:05:53.060 --> 00:05:58.910 cry for help he heard me and he has done it so 00:05:58.910 --> 00:06:02.110 what's going on here this is a complex thing 00:06:02.110 --> 00:06:09.439 it's not um the bible gets the respect should 00:06:09.439 --> 00:06:12.079 get the respect of being read like an intelligent 00:06:12.079 --> 00:06:15.839 piece of literature and not just like some words 00:06:15.839 --> 00:06:20.040 thrown out. When I was in the 10th grade, I remember 00:06:20.040 --> 00:06:23.600 being in my Algebra II class and talking about 00:06:23.600 --> 00:06:26.339 the Bible because we didn't just do math in there. 00:06:26.899 --> 00:06:28.860 We sat around and talked when the teacher was 00:06:28.860 --> 00:06:33.040 busy. And I was talking about the Bible with 00:06:33.040 --> 00:06:37.660 someone else and a nearby girl said, The Bible 00:06:37.660 --> 00:06:42.329 is just a list of do's and don'ts There's nothing 00:06:42.329 --> 00:06:44.529 else to that story because I can't remember what 00:06:44.529 --> 00:06:48.470 happened next, but it made an impression on me 00:06:49.720 --> 00:06:54.579 Because I this is the first time I ever actually 00:06:54.579 --> 00:06:59.480 encountered somebody who thought this I was I 00:06:59.480 --> 00:07:01.740 lived in what we called there the buckle of the 00:07:01.740 --> 00:07:06.259 Bible belt in North, Texas and Lots of places 00:07:06.259 --> 00:07:09.540 maybe call themselves that but we did Most people 00:07:09.540 --> 00:07:13.500 I knew there as a child were church people who 00:07:13.500 --> 00:07:15.899 had a deep personal relationship with the Bible 00:07:16.670 --> 00:07:19.610 But I came to understand that non -believers 00:07:19.610 --> 00:07:23.230 did not have that experience with God that was 00:07:23.230 --> 00:07:25.790 needed to understand that the Bible was complex 00:07:25.790 --> 00:07:29.189 and that God's Word was lovingly written to handle 00:07:29.189 --> 00:07:34.160 the difficulties of real life When I was in the 00:07:34.160 --> 00:07:37.480 eighth grade, I got into a disagreement with 00:07:37.480 --> 00:07:41.490 a girl in class who did not like me reading verses 00:07:41.490 --> 00:07:46.870 out of the Bible to someone else. We got into 00:07:46.870 --> 00:07:49.629 a conversation. She was upset about it. She scooped 00:07:49.629 --> 00:07:52.110 my Bible out of my hand and threw it on the floor 00:07:52.980 --> 00:07:56.660 and told me that I would be disappointed by God's 00:07:56.660 --> 00:08:01.569 absence from reality when I died. She told me 00:08:01.569 --> 00:08:03.970 in anger that she had known someone close who 00:08:03.970 --> 00:08:07.870 was dying and that she and her people had prayed 00:08:07.870 --> 00:08:14.029 and nothing happened. and he died anyway. I had 00:08:14.029 --> 00:08:17.129 a friend a few years ago who was becoming increasingly 00:08:17.129 --> 00:08:19.610 disappointed that God was not answering his prayers 00:08:19.610 --> 00:08:23.769 for specific things and he was becoming angry 00:08:23.769 --> 00:08:27.579 with God but his anger led him to greater and 00:08:27.579 --> 00:08:30.240 greater disbelief until he quit trying to believe 00:08:30.240 --> 00:08:36.000 altogether. I tell you all these anecdotes to 00:08:36.000 --> 00:08:40.200 say there are going to be times in many or most 00:08:40.200 --> 00:08:44.200 of our lives where God seems distant. He seems 00:08:44.200 --> 00:08:46.639 not to have shown up on time when we called for 00:08:46.639 --> 00:08:51.960 him I want to tell you that God there that God 00:08:51.960 --> 00:08:55.940 who is loving and wise Has made us a point to 00:08:55.940 --> 00:09:01.179 tell us in the Bible that he knows He will seem 00:09:01.179 --> 00:09:06.399 distant at times. I I think it's um an interesting 00:09:06.399 --> 00:09:10.529 contrast a Couple of stories one of which we 00:09:10.529 --> 00:09:12.429 we heard this morning in the lectionary reading 00:09:12.840 --> 00:09:16.990 that when Moses was on the mountain, he delayed 00:09:16.990 --> 00:09:20.230 in coming down. And when the people noticed it 00:09:20.230 --> 00:09:23.149 was taking a long time for Moses to come back, 00:09:23.629 --> 00:09:27.659 they resorted to other gods. They said, well, 00:09:27.659 --> 00:09:30.240 we sent Moses up there to ask help from our God, 00:09:31.100 --> 00:09:35.019 but our God and his man are taking too long. 00:09:36.230 --> 00:09:40.850 We feel abandoned. So let's go to these golden 00:09:40.850 --> 00:09:46.940 idols for help. In contrast to that in the New 00:09:46.940 --> 00:09:51.690 Testament John 11 when Jesus Is told that Lazarus 00:09:51.690 --> 00:09:55.929 is sick? Sick to death he's getting close to 00:09:55.929 --> 00:10:00.129 the end The Bible tells us that Jesus delayed 00:10:00.129 --> 00:10:06.029 on purpose Going back But then when Jesus shows 00:10:06.029 --> 00:10:10.820 up his friends there are still faithful Now what 00:10:10.820 --> 00:10:14.080 do these faithful closest friends of Jesus do? 00:10:14.200 --> 00:10:19.289 when he shows up to them. You remember what question 00:10:19.289 --> 00:10:21.970 he has met with, what response he has met with 00:10:21.970 --> 00:10:26.539 as soon as he gets there? Jesus, if you had been 00:10:26.539 --> 00:10:31.669 here, Lazarus would not have died. So he has 00:10:31.669 --> 00:10:36.490 a complaint given to him that he left them without 00:10:36.490 --> 00:10:41.059 resource. You weren't here. That is similar to 00:10:41.059 --> 00:10:45.610 saying you abandoned us. But you see this is 00:10:45.610 --> 00:10:47.970 a different response from the response of the 00:10:47.970 --> 00:10:51.789 people with Aaron and the golden calf Aaron and 00:10:51.789 --> 00:10:54.289 the people of the golden calf used their frustration 00:10:54.289 --> 00:10:58.440 at God's timing to turn away from him and Mary 00:10:58.440 --> 00:11:00.759 and Martha used their frustration at God's timing 00:11:00.759 --> 00:11:08.480 to turn toward him and Jesus Says to them. I 00:11:08.480 --> 00:11:11.440 am the resurrection and the life and he raises 00:11:11.440 --> 00:11:14.139 Lazarus from the dead. There's a point There 00:11:14.139 --> 00:11:18.289 is something good going on Not only is there 00:11:18.289 --> 00:11:20.350 something good going on and that Lazarus was 00:11:20.350 --> 00:11:22.289 raised from the dead and they got to see his 00:11:22.289 --> 00:11:25.509 glory and we got to learn Jesus Statement that 00:11:25.509 --> 00:11:28.149 I am the resurrection in the life, but it was 00:11:28.149 --> 00:11:31.889 absolutely crucial that Lazarus died Do you know 00:11:31.889 --> 00:11:36.070 why you needed Lazarus to die? Because you needed 00:11:36.070 --> 00:11:37.870 Lazarus to be raised from the dead. Do you know 00:11:37.870 --> 00:11:40.110 why you needed Lazarus to be raised from the 00:11:40.110 --> 00:11:44.389 dead? Because Jesus needed a reason to be crucified 00:11:46.139 --> 00:11:48.960 the resurrection of Lazarus is the trigger that 00:11:48.960 --> 00:11:52.179 Jesus used to get the Pharisees to crucify him 00:11:52.340 --> 00:11:55.500 and that's it actually what the Bible tells us 00:11:55.500 --> 00:11:58.899 it's not just an interpretation they went and 00:11:58.899 --> 00:12:02.000 said we can't have this he's raising people from 00:12:02.000 --> 00:12:04.860 the dead we got to we got to put an end to this 00:12:04.899 --> 00:12:10.149 so they made a plan to kill him it was important 00:12:10.149 --> 00:12:15.110 that God not do what they wanted it was better 00:12:15.110 --> 00:12:18.789 for them that he not do what they wanted when 00:12:18.789 --> 00:12:23.759 they wanted it. Can you think of who is the most 00:12:23.759 --> 00:12:26.679 famous person in the Bible that prayed for something 00:12:26.679 --> 00:12:33.159 and didn't get it? It's Jesus. Jesus in the night 00:12:33.159 --> 00:12:38.570 before he was crucified said three times, Father, 00:12:39.450 --> 00:12:42.730 let this cup pass for me. If it's any way possible 00:12:42.730 --> 00:12:47.659 that this crucifixion cannot happen, it says 00:12:47.659 --> 00:12:52.629 he was worried. He said it says that he was worried 00:12:52.629 --> 00:12:57.480 to death It actually says that that he had turmoil 00:12:57.480 --> 00:13:00.360 and it said he told the disciples he was sick 00:13:00.360 --> 00:13:10.570 to death and yet God didn't answer his inner 00:13:10.570 --> 00:13:14.480 turmoil with giving him what he asked for and 00:13:14.480 --> 00:13:18.340 It was necessary Elsewhere the Bible tells us 00:13:18.340 --> 00:13:22.899 that Jesus endured the cross Because it was worth 00:13:22.899 --> 00:13:26.879 it He mocked it shame because it was worth it 00:13:26.879 --> 00:13:29.159 That he would be raised from the dead and sit 00:13:29.159 --> 00:13:35.000 down at the right hand of the father if you can 00:13:35.000 --> 00:13:39.590 imagine a child Having to go into an MRI machine 00:13:39.590 --> 00:13:42.190 Have any of you ever had to go into an MRI machine 00:13:42.190 --> 00:13:47.360 before? You think you're getting capsulated in 00:13:47.360 --> 00:13:50.820 this really loud environment and you get cuts 00:13:50.820 --> 00:13:54.720 you off from the rest of the world It's it's 00:13:54.720 --> 00:13:57.700 there's this clicking and buzzing. It just goes 00:13:57.700 --> 00:14:03.289 on and on for like an hour The child's parents 00:14:03.289 --> 00:14:06.529 if the child had to go into that would be wanting 00:14:06.529 --> 00:14:11.700 to say beforehand You won't be able to see us 00:14:11.830 --> 00:14:16.600 But rest assured we will still be there When 00:14:16.600 --> 00:14:25.529 you can't see us we can still see you We have 00:14:25.529 --> 00:14:27.669 situations in life where we feel like that and 00:14:27.669 --> 00:14:30.529 when we ask where is God he's given us Psalm 00:14:30.529 --> 00:14:36.480 22 as one of the ways of telling us, when you 00:14:36.480 --> 00:14:48.259 can't see me, I can still see you. The Bible 00:14:48.259 --> 00:14:52.879 confirms for us that the language of how we feel 00:14:52.909 --> 00:14:58.980 is appropriate, even appropriate for worship. 00:15:00.210 --> 00:15:03.509 It does feel like God has abandoned us at times. 00:15:06.279 --> 00:15:08.419 There are different kinds of Psalms for various 00:15:08.419 --> 00:15:11.500 occasions, and we know that the Psalms of lament 00:15:11.700 --> 00:15:15.019 cry out to God. We've been given a whole set 00:15:15.019 --> 00:15:17.740 of various Psalms that say things like this. 00:15:17.899 --> 00:15:22.700 Like Psalm 44 says, awake. Why are you sleeping, 00:15:22.899 --> 00:15:26.299 O God? Rouse yourself. Do not reject us forever. 00:15:27.200 --> 00:15:30.919 Why do you hide your face? Why do you forget 00:15:30.919 --> 00:15:36.299 our affliction and oppression? I want to teach 00:15:36.299 --> 00:15:38.940 you in this in this sermon in this moment that 00:15:38.940 --> 00:15:42.019 when the Bible speaks this way It does a couple 00:15:42.019 --> 00:15:45.000 things one it one it approves that language for 00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:48.820 worship. It's okay for you to in your prayer 00:15:48.820 --> 00:15:53.100 time say to God I Kind of feel like you're not 00:15:53.100 --> 00:16:00.080 Doing what I expect you're not showing up But 00:16:00.080 --> 00:16:03.740 it also teaches us that these language this language 00:16:03.740 --> 00:16:08.370 while it is given to us to say to God Is about 00:16:08.370 --> 00:16:13.389 our feelings and not about reality So God says 00:16:13.519 --> 00:16:19.230 I give you permission to emote in prayer But 00:16:19.230 --> 00:16:21.889 you also need to know that when you think I've 00:16:21.889 --> 00:16:30.330 hidden my face. I have not hidden my face It 00:16:30.330 --> 00:16:37.789 actually literally says that in the psalm it 00:16:37.789 --> 00:16:42.970 says I'll find it. I'm trying to pull this out 00:16:42.970 --> 00:16:45.409 of order in the sermon. It's later in there I'll 00:16:45.409 --> 00:16:47.129 come back to it so I don't have to search with 00:16:47.129 --> 00:16:54.649 my small print here In order to properly make 00:16:54.649 --> 00:16:59.539 this point. I need to to say that one God Does 00:16:59.539 --> 00:17:04.880 at times abandon us? It does feel like God abandons 00:17:04.880 --> 00:17:07.859 us But the second point that we'll get to is 00:17:07.859 --> 00:17:14.089 that God never ever abandons us The apparent 00:17:14.089 --> 00:17:16.849 contradiction is found fully in this psalm in 00:17:16.849 --> 00:17:19.589 a single package so that we can tell that it's 00:17:19.589 --> 00:17:22.869 intentional It's not just you read this psalm 00:17:22.869 --> 00:17:24.750 and it kind of said somebody wrote this psalm 00:17:24.750 --> 00:17:27.650 and it sounds morose Somebody wrote this psalm 00:17:27.650 --> 00:17:30.130 and it sounds triumphant and they just kind of 00:17:30.130 --> 00:17:33.309 got stuck into a book together By two guys who 00:17:33.309 --> 00:17:35.809 didn't really know the same God had different 00:17:35.809 --> 00:17:40.829 ideas about religion but David writes this psalm 00:17:41.230 --> 00:17:45.789 David himself writes this psalm and The two parts 00:17:45.789 --> 00:17:48.450 of it are not only in the same psalm together 00:17:50.660 --> 00:17:54.160 But they also show up elsewhere in the Bible 00:17:54.160 --> 00:17:56.640 quoted together as two halves that need to go 00:17:56.640 --> 00:17:59.460 together And I'll show you that in a minute, 00:17:59.839 --> 00:18:05.390 but at first let's look at how How thoroughly 00:18:05.390 --> 00:18:08.569 it describes that bad feeling of being abandoned 00:18:08.569 --> 00:18:12.329 in verse 11 He says be not far from me for trouble 00:18:12.329 --> 00:18:16.819 is near and there is none to help In verse 14. 00:18:16.819 --> 00:18:20.619 He says I am poured out like water All my bones 00:18:20.619 --> 00:18:24.160 are out of joint. My heart is like wax. It is 00:18:24.160 --> 00:18:29.390 melted within my breast In verse 15, my strength 00:18:29.390 --> 00:18:33.309 is dried up. My tongue sticks to my jaws. You 00:18:33.309 --> 00:18:41.660 lay me in the dust of death We we know that this 00:18:41.660 --> 00:18:48.309 psalm Is a messianic psalm and we also recognize 00:18:48.309 --> 00:18:51.390 this psalm as being deeply connected to the event 00:18:51.390 --> 00:18:54.420 of the crucifixion I don't know if you remember 00:18:54.420 --> 00:18:56.680 as we read through there were lots of descriptions 00:18:56.680 --> 00:18:59.819 that sound like it's reporting on Jesus at the 00:18:59.819 --> 00:19:08.920 cross It says in that section for for dogs encompass 00:19:08.920 --> 00:19:12.589 me a company of evildoers encircles me You imagine 00:19:12.589 --> 00:19:15.309 around the cross that the people circle circling 00:19:15.309 --> 00:19:19.339 I can count all my bones As he had been whipped 00:19:19.339 --> 00:19:22.460 and it says his bones were visible They stare 00:19:22.460 --> 00:19:25.119 at me and gloat over me. They divide my garments 00:19:25.119 --> 00:19:27.839 among them and for my clothing they cast lots 00:19:27.839 --> 00:19:30.180 We know that literally happened at the cross 00:19:30.180 --> 00:19:33.920 It also says in verse 8 he trusts in the Lord. 00:19:33.920 --> 00:19:36.420 Let him deliver him. Let him rescue him for he 00:19:36.420 --> 00:19:39.779 delights in him And that is actually literally 00:19:39.779 --> 00:19:41.839 quoted out of the mouths of the people around 00:19:41.839 --> 00:19:48.519 the cross in Matthew 27. So there's lots of pieces 00:19:48.519 --> 00:19:51.299 describing the cross. It actually literally even 00:19:51.299 --> 00:19:54.940 says they pierced my hands and my feet. So this 00:19:54.940 --> 00:19:57.500 is a fairly thorough going description of the 00:19:57.500 --> 00:20:02.839 cross. But what is the first verse and what are 00:20:02.839 --> 00:20:06.720 the last verse? We'll look at that. Do you know 00:20:06.720 --> 00:20:09.240 that there are seven famous sayings? It's the 00:20:09.240 --> 00:20:14.019 seven last sayings of Jesus from the cross. Two 00:20:14.019 --> 00:20:17.690 of them come from this Psalm. The first verse, 00:20:17.849 --> 00:20:24.470 Jesus says, is what is said in Matthew 27, 46. 00:20:24.529 --> 00:20:27.230 About the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a 00:20:27.230 --> 00:20:30.910 loud voice saying, Eli, Eli, Lema sabachthani. 00:20:31.150 --> 00:20:34.789 That is, my God, my God, why have you forsaken 00:20:34.789 --> 00:20:41.009 me? So Jesus begins to quote Psalm 22 from the 00:20:41.009 --> 00:20:45.829 cross and we read in John 1930 When Jesus had 00:20:45.829 --> 00:20:50.069 received the sour wine. He said it is Finished 00:20:50.069 --> 00:20:52.670 and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. 00:20:52.950 --> 00:20:56.470 Let's look at the last verse of Psalm 22 They 00:20:56.470 --> 00:20:58.609 shall come and proclaim his righteousness to 00:20:58.609 --> 00:21:03.390 a people yet unborn that he has done it He has 00:21:03.390 --> 00:21:07.519 done it. There is the trans the same the same 00:21:07.519 --> 00:21:11.839 phrase as it is finished. So he actually says 00:21:11.839 --> 00:21:15.559 both the first and the last verse of this psalm 00:21:15.559 --> 00:21:20.019 from the cross. He's experiencing the cross as 00:21:20.019 --> 00:21:24.200 it was prophesied to be for that moment. But 00:21:24.200 --> 00:21:27.599 you notice that the my God why have you forsaken 00:21:27.599 --> 00:21:31.660 me part is how it feels to the psalmist at the 00:21:31.660 --> 00:21:34.359 beginning but the rest of the psalm goes on to 00:21:34.359 --> 00:21:37.019 describe how he has called on the Lord the Lord 00:21:37.019 --> 00:21:40.680 has heard him has not shamed his affliction will 00:21:40.680 --> 00:21:46.019 do what he says and he has done it so when Jesus 00:21:46.019 --> 00:21:50.759 is saying it is finished he is affirming that 00:21:50.759 --> 00:21:55.140 God has not actually abandoned him Okay, so Jesus 00:21:55.140 --> 00:21:59.160 we it's a it's a problem if we accidentally not 00:21:59.160 --> 00:22:02.359 knowing this Psalm Make our theology about the 00:22:02.359 --> 00:22:04.599 cross from the fact that Jesus says my god Why 00:22:04.599 --> 00:22:07.339 have you forsaken me and we go to tell people 00:22:07.339 --> 00:22:10.579 well got Jesus was Forsaken on the cross and 00:22:10.579 --> 00:22:16.160 God turned his back on Jesus the Bible Cannot 00:22:16.160 --> 00:22:21.650 abide that do you know what it says? in Hebrews 00:22:22.190 --> 00:22:27.660 in Hebrews 13 it tells us in verse Quoting the 00:22:27.660 --> 00:22:33.119 Old Testament it says as He has said I will never 00:22:33.119 --> 00:22:39.509 leave you Nor will I ever forsake you So it can't 00:22:39.509 --> 00:22:43.769 be both. He can't promise I will never forsake 00:22:43.769 --> 00:22:51.950 you and then we we hear Jesus God in God incarnate 00:22:51.950 --> 00:22:56.619 say to God you have forsaken me Build a theology 00:22:56.619 --> 00:23:00.359 that God sometimes forsakes us sometimes he he 00:23:00.359 --> 00:23:04.940 forsook Jesus Because God promised never to forsake 00:23:04.940 --> 00:23:09.700 his people But it is completely possible to make 00:23:09.700 --> 00:23:13.440 a theology that God has room for us to tell him 00:23:13.440 --> 00:23:18.470 it feels like he has forsaken us because we have 00:23:19.299 --> 00:23:23.079 Whole complex pieces of music sung to start off 00:23:23.079 --> 00:23:28.660 with I feel really bad God I feel very abandoned. 00:23:29.279 --> 00:23:32.019 And yet, when I come to worship, I repeat the 00:23:32.019 --> 00:23:34.740 fact amongst my brothers that I called out to 00:23:34.740 --> 00:23:39.000 you. You heard my cry. You did not despise my 00:23:39.000 --> 00:23:42.099 affliction. You have heard my cry and you have 00:23:42.099 --> 00:23:55.700 come to my rescue. One of the benefits of seeing 00:23:55.700 --> 00:24:00.579 that Jesus himself went through this is knowing 00:24:00.579 --> 00:24:05.990 that when you feel that lowest moment, and you 00:24:05.990 --> 00:24:12.829 feel that you are alone, who is with you? Jesus 00:24:12.829 --> 00:24:16.849 is with you in that affliction. We do not have 00:24:16.849 --> 00:24:22.609 a God who cannot understand us in our afflictions. 00:24:22.670 --> 00:24:27.019 We have a God who has participated in our humanity 00:24:27.279 --> 00:24:32.059 and who has understood what it feels like to 00:24:32.059 --> 00:24:35.319 suffer through the plans of God, the good plans 00:24:35.319 --> 00:24:41.390 of God. That involve suffering and the Bible 00:24:41.390 --> 00:24:45.589 says in Hebrews 13 That same passage that says 00:24:45.589 --> 00:24:48.710 he will never leave us or forsake us It says 00:24:48.710 --> 00:24:52.490 so Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order 00:24:52.490 --> 00:24:55.130 to sanctify the people through his own blood 00:24:55.509 --> 00:24:59.809 Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and 00:24:59.809 --> 00:25:06.829 bear the reproach he endured we Suffer with him. 00:25:07.150 --> 00:25:10.309 It's Philippians tells us that we will be glorified 00:25:10.309 --> 00:25:13.910 with him it Provided that we also suffer with 00:25:13.910 --> 00:25:19.970 him We are as the body of Christ You know it 00:25:19.970 --> 00:25:23.009 was the body that of Jesus himself literal body 00:25:23.009 --> 00:25:25.230 that was put to death on the cross and as the 00:25:25.230 --> 00:25:28.589 figurative Body of Christ the body of Christ 00:25:28.589 --> 00:25:32.170 suffers in front of the world the but it actually 00:25:32.170 --> 00:25:38.690 tells us in in Colossians that we fill up what 00:25:38.690 --> 00:25:41.470 is lacking in the sufferings of Christ in front 00:25:41.470 --> 00:25:43.650 of the world Which doesn't mean that anything 00:25:43.650 --> 00:25:46.789 is lacking. It's a phrase a turn of phrase. That 00:25:46.789 --> 00:25:51.089 means God prepared the suffering of Jesus and 00:25:51.089 --> 00:25:56.049 that we are Using up what is remaining of it 00:25:56.049 --> 00:25:58.670 for the world to see the cross is being born 00:25:58.670 --> 00:26:03.849 out in our lives There are times that it is necessary 00:26:03.849 --> 00:26:08.569 for God's good plan to happen Like Lazarus that 00:26:08.569 --> 00:26:13.569 he wait that he hides from our vision But he 00:26:13.569 --> 00:26:16.509 doesn't hide from seeing us and taking care of 00:26:16.509 --> 00:26:22.019 us It's necessary sometimes to put us in the 00:26:22.019 --> 00:26:25.880 MRI tube and to tell us as Children hand the 00:26:25.880 --> 00:26:29.579 Psalm 22 to us and say I'm not going anywhere 00:26:29.920 --> 00:26:34.650 You're going to feel very alone now, but I am 00:26:34.650 --> 00:26:41.039 not, I'm not gone. I still see you. So, so far 00:26:41.039 --> 00:26:43.900 we have talked about the, there's the benefit 00:26:43.900 --> 00:26:46.779 of knowing that this language is available to 00:26:46.779 --> 00:26:51.960 us in worship and also the truth that God is 00:26:51.960 --> 00:26:56.890 actually present. He is actually present in our, 00:26:56.890 --> 00:27:04.819 in our distress, but It is also important to 00:27:04.819 --> 00:27:07.259 finally to think about what should you do when 00:27:07.259 --> 00:27:10.000 you end up in one of these situations? What's 00:27:10.000 --> 00:27:13.950 the benefit of knowing? There is comfort in knowing 00:27:13.950 --> 00:27:16.950 that God is there, but what should you do about 00:27:16.950 --> 00:27:23.140 it? When you pray, I imagine any number of us 00:27:23.140 --> 00:27:25.960 can know people or have experienced times when 00:27:25.960 --> 00:27:27.880 we've prayed for the same thing for decades and 00:27:27.880 --> 00:27:30.529 haven't seen the answer. What do you do about 00:27:30.529 --> 00:27:33.869 that frustrating moment or that frustrating request? 00:27:37.000 --> 00:27:43.039 the psalm leads us to stay faithful to the Lord 00:27:43.039 --> 00:27:47.519 in the midst of his apparent absence and to continue 00:27:47.519 --> 00:27:53.549 to worship and It says that the result of those 00:27:53.549 --> 00:27:57.180 who are watching There are two two groups of 00:27:57.180 --> 00:27:59.579 people. It says that are watching one. It says 00:27:59.579 --> 00:28:02.589 that there are people mocking There are people 00:28:02.589 --> 00:28:05.869 wagging their heads and saying Let God take care 00:28:05.869 --> 00:28:08.230 of him if he delights in him. God will take care 00:28:08.230 --> 00:28:14.019 of it. They mean it as a joke. There's another 00:28:14.019 --> 00:28:16.819 group that says that in the sight of all the 00:28:16.819 --> 00:28:20.720 congregation when God has rescued him, he bears 00:28:20.720 --> 00:28:23.759 witness that God did this. God has taken care 00:28:23.759 --> 00:28:29.319 of him. The world is watching. I think that many 00:28:29.319 --> 00:28:32.220 of us have made decisions as Christians to do 00:28:32.220 --> 00:28:34.339 things that don't make sense to people we know. 00:28:34.990 --> 00:28:37.960 Don't make sense to the world around us. You 00:28:37.960 --> 00:28:41.710 waste your Sunday mornings in church. You have 00:28:41.710 --> 00:28:46.609 more children than you have money for. You get 00:28:46.609 --> 00:28:50.509 married at a young age and quit. Quit playing 00:28:50.509 --> 00:28:54.190 the field. Who knows what kinds of things? I 00:28:54.190 --> 00:28:57.130 mean, those are basically normal seeming decisions. 00:28:57.190 --> 00:28:59.789 There would be any number of I won't go into 00:28:59.789 --> 00:29:01.710 business with this person because I don't trust 00:29:01.710 --> 00:29:04.910 his ethics or I won't do this. I won't do this 00:29:04.910 --> 00:29:08.240 thing. You will do things as a Christian. Other 00:29:08.240 --> 00:29:12.690 people will say come on That's that's that's 00:29:12.690 --> 00:29:15.049 foolish and you say well, I think I should do 00:29:15.049 --> 00:29:19.500 this and then when you do it it doesn't go well 00:29:19.500 --> 00:29:23.759 for you and you suffer in front of those people 00:29:23.789 --> 00:29:27.450 and You're going to be tempted to go to God and 00:29:27.450 --> 00:29:30.799 say May I say tempted may not be the right thing. 00:29:30.799 --> 00:29:34.829 You may need to go to God and say I Did what 00:29:34.829 --> 00:29:38.559 you asked me to and I am suffering Because I 00:29:38.559 --> 00:29:44.940 obeyed you that you have permission to say if 00:29:44.940 --> 00:29:49.869 you do that in order to say and Yet you are holy 00:29:49.970 --> 00:29:54.519 and I trust you and I want to prepare myself 00:29:54.519 --> 00:29:58.490 for the time when you vindicate yourself By continuing 00:29:58.490 --> 00:30:02.589 to worship now Jesus was mocked by people who 00:30:02.589 --> 00:30:05.869 said he trusts in God. Let God take care of him 00:30:06.029 --> 00:30:09.450 And yet Jesus was faithful all the way to death 00:30:09.869 --> 00:30:13.730 We may have to be faithful in these times. Even 00:30:13.730 --> 00:30:16.289 to the point of death, we may not see the result 00:30:16.289 --> 00:30:19.549 that we are asking for, but God's Word will be 00:30:19.549 --> 00:30:22.910 vindicated. And in the future, in our resurrected 00:30:22.910 --> 00:30:26.690 state, we will have the pleasure of seeing God's 00:30:26.690 --> 00:30:29.930 glory and our pleasure together in having trusted 00:30:29.930 --> 00:30:33.329 Him. But what is important is that the world 00:30:33.329 --> 00:30:37.789 needs to see that God's people trust Him despite 00:30:37.789 --> 00:30:41.380 the difficulty. And when God glorifies himself 00:30:41.380 --> 00:30:45.059 in front of the world, you will have left things 00:30:45.059 --> 00:30:48.740 in a good position for them to see and fear and 00:30:48.740 --> 00:30:56.779 put their trust in the Lord. I want to finish 00:30:56.779 --> 00:31:03.950 by, I want to read you a quote I read. Somebody 00:31:03.950 --> 00:31:08.039 I know recently posted some words from the end 00:31:08.039 --> 00:31:11.559 of a sermon. So I'm I'm I'm not plagiarizing 00:31:11.559 --> 00:31:13.480 because I'm telling you where it's coming from 00:31:16.750 --> 00:31:22.819 Yeah, if I have made my pages Two different here 00:31:22.819 --> 00:31:26.660 it goes. All right This is Peter light heart 00:31:26.660 --> 00:31:29.440 from a sermon apparently from 10 or 11 years 00:31:29.440 --> 00:31:34.539 ago What's going on when we don't get what we 00:31:34.539 --> 00:31:38.180 ask? It may be many things but Jesus makes it 00:31:38.180 --> 00:31:41.980 clear that one thing is definitely not going 00:31:41.980 --> 00:31:46.769 on This is not God giving you stones for bread 00:31:46.990 --> 00:31:51.869 a snake or a scorpion instead of fish This is 00:31:51.869 --> 00:31:54.509 not God giving you the short end of the stick 00:31:54.609 --> 00:31:59.769 This is not God keeping the door locked He doesn't 00:31:59.769 --> 00:32:07.059 do that never ever ever He gives good gifts to 00:32:07.059 --> 00:32:13.910 his children always always always Nothing but 00:32:13.910 --> 00:32:19.690 good God always gives you what you ask or something 00:32:19.690 --> 00:32:23.730 even better It's hard to understand sometimes. 00:32:23.730 --> 00:32:26.250 That's the end of the quote. It's hard to understand 00:32:26.250 --> 00:32:31.289 sometimes but what God has prepared for his people 00:32:31.289 --> 00:32:37.819 is goodness and He has done it in Final final 00:32:37.819 --> 00:32:39.799 conclusion. Let me tell you what you do when 00:32:39.799 --> 00:32:43.200 you get to the end of Psalm 22 and the feelings 00:32:43.200 --> 00:32:46.119 that you've been abandoned you turn the page 00:32:46.119 --> 00:32:49.380 and you read the Lord is my shepherd I shall 00:32:49.380 --> 00:32:53.430 not want he makes me lie down in green pastures 00:32:53.619 --> 00:32:55.940 even though I walk through the valley of the 00:32:55.940 --> 00:32:58.180 shadow of death I will fear no evil for you are 00:32:58.180 --> 00:33:01.089 with me your rod and your staff they comfort 00:33:01.089 --> 00:33:04.549 me surely goodness and mercy shall follow me 00:33:04.549 --> 00:33:06.630 all the days of my life and I shall dwell in 00:33:06.630 --> 00:33:08.970 the house of the Lord forever that's on the next 00:33:08.970 --> 00:33:14.950 page God is always good to us even when it feels 00:33:14.950 --> 00:33:20.519 bad so you It's okay to say so, but the truth 00:33:20.519 --> 00:33:24.589 is he's with you. And because of that, come to 00:33:24.589 --> 00:33:26.849 him and worship. It will help keep the guardrails 00:33:26.849 --> 00:33:31.240 on your fear and your anger. Praying with the 00:33:31.240 --> 00:33:33.599 Psalm will help you keep the guardrails on the 00:33:33.599 --> 00:33:38.049 way that you feel, so that it reminds you, not 00:33:38.049 --> 00:33:41.349 only can you tell God how you feel, but the truth, 00:33:41.450 --> 00:33:48.000 you are not abandoned. Let's pray. Father, I 00:33:48.000 --> 00:33:52.369 thank you so much for Never actually abandoning 00:33:52.369 --> 00:33:55.920 us. I also thank you for choosing hard things 00:33:55.920 --> 00:33:58.539 for us that are the right things even if we wouldn't 00:33:58.539 --> 00:34:02.009 like it Because those things are good and you 00:34:02.009 --> 00:34:07.890 are wise and you are holy Thank you for glorifying 00:34:07.890 --> 00:34:10.010 yourself and thank you for letting us be included 00:34:10.010 --> 00:34:13.550 in your family in your pleasure in the resurrection 00:34:13.550 --> 00:34:17.960 in your future in your kingdom I pray that we 00:34:17.960 --> 00:34:20.480 would be faithful stewards of your salvation, 00:34:20.780 --> 00:34:23.019 that people watching us would be able to see 00:34:23.019 --> 00:34:27.269 and fear and put their trust in the Lord. In 00:34:27.269 --> 00:34:28.849 Jesus' name I pray, amen.